Exemplary embodiments of the invention relate to a device to arrange a high-visibility vest device on a side door of a motor vehicle.
If, while driving with a motor vehicle, a breakdown or an accident occurs, as a consequence of which at least one person must leave the motor vehicle, wearing a high-visibility vest thus ensures very high safety for the person moving outside the motor vehicle close to the road. High-visibility vests are, for example, designed to be luminescent in color according to European standard EN 471, such that the person wearing the high-visibility vest can be seen particularly well by other road users. Thus, secondary accidents can be prevented.
Wearing such a high-visibility vest is increasingly becoming compulsory due to legal requirements for persons leaving the motor vehicle and remaining in the road. Thus, the high-visibility vests should already be put on when leaving the motor vehicle. In order that the person leaving the motor vehicle can comfortably comply with this obligation, a corresponding accommodation of the high-visibility vest and, in particular, a corresponding handling of this, must be created.
French patent document FR 2 931 745 A1 discloses an arrangement of a high-visibility vest device on a vehicle seat of a motor vehicle, in which the high-visibility vest device comprises a container as well as a high-visibility vest received in the container. The container is therein partially arranged in a storage space of a seat part of the vehicle seat. The high-visibility vest can be removed from this by opening the container.
European patent document EP 1 733 923 A1 discloses a storage container having a high-visibility vest. The storage container has a cylindrical tube that is closed on one side with a base, and a cover that is connected to the tube, that seals the opening of the tube and is removable. The high-visibility vest is situated at least partially inside the tube, in a rolled-up state. The storage container can be stored in a corresponding storage space of a central console.
Additionally, German patent document DE 10 2006 036 030 A1 discloses a high-visibility vest applied to a webbing of a safety belt.
German patent document DE 10 2009 039 380 A1 discloses a device to arrange a high-visibility device, comprising at least one high-visibility vest, to a side door of a motor vehicle. The high-visibility device comprises at least one receiving element that at least partially encloses the high-visibility vest, the receiving element being formed as a storage container enclosing the high-visibility vest on all edges. The device comprises a side storage space of an inner paneling of the side door. Therein the high-visibility vest can be accommodated in the side storage space and can thus be arranged on the side door.
The handling of the known device for the arrangement of the high-visibility vest device on the side door is therein in need of improvement such that a vehicle passenger of the motor vehicle can put on and store the high-visibility vest simply and comfortably.
Exemplary embodiments of the present invention are directed to a device for the arrangement of a high-visibility vest device on a side door of a motor vehicle of the type referred to at the beginning such that the high-visibility vest device can be handled particularly simply.
In order to create a device to arrange a high-visibility vest device on a side door of a motor vehicle, which has particularly simple handling, in a first aspect of the invention at least one first fixing means of the device is provided on the side door, onto which the high-visibility vest device can be fixed by the interaction of the first fixing means with at least one second fixing means that is on a receiving element serving for the reception of at least one high-visibility vest. The receiving element can therein completely or partially comprise or enclose the at least one high-visibility vest. The fixing means ensure a defined connection of the high-visibility vest device to the side door, which can be produced and released in a simple and ergonomic manner for a vehicle passenger of the motor vehicle. In particular, a standardized fixing or fixability of the high-visibility device to the side door can be created, which benefits the handling.
In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the high-visibility device is able to be fixed or is fixed positively to the side door by the fixing means that interact with one another. A rattle-free and firm connection is hereby created. The fixing of the high-visibility vest device to the side door also provides safety in the event of an accident, as the risk that the high-visibility vest device releases from the side door is particularly low.
Due to the fixing means and in particular due to the positive connection, a haptic feedback to a person fixing the high-visibility vest device to the side door can be implemented, such that it is thus communicated to the person that the high-visibility vest device is fixed firmly and securely to the side door.
Here, for example, a latch connection is created by the interaction of the fixing means. If the second fixing means on the receiving element-side moves into a predetermined position relative to the door-side first fixing means, then the fixing means engage with one another, whereby an aural and, in particular, haptic (perceptible) feedback of the fixed connection of the high-visibility vest device to the side door is fed back to the person.
The fixing means thereby enable both an ergonomic and simple release of the high-visibility vest device from the side door and a simple and ergonomic fixing of this to the side door. The releasing and fixing can occur with the hand that is furthest away from the side door of the vehicle passenger sitting next to the side door. The vehicle passenger is thus able to be prevented from having to move awkwardly and unergonomically in the vehicle seat in order to reach the high-visibility vest device. In contrast to this, he can reach the high-visibility vest device in a simple manner by reaching around with the hand which is further away from the side door.
To implement a defined arrangement and alignment of the high-visibility vest device on and relative to the side door, in a further embodiment of the invention one of the fixing means has a guide, into which the other fixing means is able to be inserted in an insertion direction.
It has furthermore been shown to be advantageous if the guide tapers in the insertion direction. In other words, the guide has a cross-section that decreases in the insertion direction. Thus, it is possible to pre-position the high-visibility vest device first in a region of the guide in which it still has a relatively large cross-section. In connection to the pre-positioning, the high-visibility vest device can be displaced along the guide in the insertion direction. Due to the cross-section that decreases in the insertion direction, the high-visibility vest device is guided in a defined manner and aligned relative to the side door such that it occupies a defined and predeterminable storage position. This storage position therein is always at least substantially the same due to the guide and the exact positioning, even in the case of repeated releasing and fixing of the high-visibility vest device.
Due to the tapering guide, thus an automatically-positioning fixing is implemented in which the person displaces the high-visibility vest device in a simple manner and ergonomically along the guide, whereby the high-visibility vest device is brought into its storage position automatically.
The high-visibility vest device can be released from the side door in just as simple a manner. For this purpose, the high-visibility vest device is extracted against the insertion direction. Due to the guide extending against the insertion direction, a jamming and tilting of the high-visibility vest device can be prevented during insertion or extraction.
For the implementation of a particularly simple handling, even in dark environmental conditions in the passenger space of the motor vehicle, at least one handle is arranged on the receiving element, by means of which the receiving element-side second fixing means is able to move relative to the door-side first fixing means, into and out of operative connection with this. The handle is able to be felt very easily from the passenger space by a vehicle passenger such that he can then locate and put on the high-visibility vest, even if he cannot exactly see the high-visibility vest device due to poor lighting conditions.
Preferably, the handle is formed ergonomically such that a particularly comfortable releasing and fixing of the high-visibility vest device is ensured. For this purpose, the handle is preferably fixed on the receiving element by two ends of the handle that are at a distance from each other. Thus, the vehicle passenger can grip the handle firmly.
In a further embodiment of the invention the high-visibility vest is held in a compacted manner by the receiving element. Thus, the high-visibility vest device has only a very low space requirement.
Preferably, the high-visibility vest is rolled up and held in a rolled-up manner by the receiving element. Thus, a fold and a risk of breaking of the high-visibility vest resulting from this can be prevented. At the same time, the high-visibility vest has only a very low space requirement.
The high-visibility vest device can be fixed to an interior door paneling part of the side door, in particular to an armrest of the interior door paneling part. Thus, a defined position is allocated to the high-visibility vest device.
In a further, particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention, a base of the storage compartment that limits a storage space of a storage compartment of the side door downwards in the vehicle vertical direction is covered by the high-visibility vest device arranged at a distance from the base, upwards in the vehicle vertical direction, in the state in which the high-visibility vest device is arranged on the side door. The high-visibility vest device is therein able to be reached very easily. At the same time, the storage space of the storage compartment is not impaired by the high-visibility vest device.
The high-visibility vest device can be fixed to hang on the interior door paneling part of the side door, in particular on the arm rest of the interior door paneling part. Thus, the storage space of the storage compartment is not impaired due to the hanging positioning.
It has been shown to be of further advantage if the high-visibility vest device is at least partially covered by a side wall of the storage compartment, inwardly in the vehicle transverse direction, in a state in which it is arranged on or fixed to the side door. The high-visibility vest device is thus at least partially not visible by the vehicle passenger, which benefits the optical impression of the side door. Additionally, the side wall can hold back the high-visibility vest device such that this cannot move around in an uncontrolled manner in the passenger space. The high-visibility vest device is therein, for example, accessible, in particular from the front, via an opening in the vehicle longitudinal direction and can be moved relative to the side door and released from this or fixed to this via the opening.
Preferably, the high-visibility vest device projects over the side wall in the vehicle longitudinal direction such that, for example, the handle extends out of the storage compartment and can be felt and/or seen very well by a vehicle passenger. The predominant part of the high visibility vest device is herein, however, covered by the side wall such that the high-visibility vest device does not impair the optical impression of the passenger space. Therein, for example, it can be provided that the handle is adapted to an interior design of the passenger space. The at least partially visible handle is thus integrated into the passenger space optically attractively with regard to the design.
In the case of a second aspect of the invention, for the implementation of particularly good handling of the high-visibility vest device at least one handle is arranged on the receiving element, by means of which the high-visibility vest device is able to move relative to at least one door-side fixing means, in and out of operative connection with the door-side fixing means, to fix the high-visibility vest device to the device. Therein, for example, the receiving element-side fixing means is able to move into and out of operative connection with this, relative to the door-side fixing means. The high-visibility vest device can be moved particularly simply and ergonomically relative to the side door, and thus can be fixed to this or released from this via the handle, which is a handle of the high-visibility vest device. Advantageous embodiments of the first aspect of the invention are to be considered as advantageous embodiments of the second aspect of the invention and reversed.
The handle also enables a vehicle passenger to be able to feel the high-visibility vest device even in poor lighting conditions and, for example, in darkness, and can put on the high-visibility vest without the vehicle passenger being able to see the high-visibility vest exactly. In order to be able to recognize the handle, even in poor lighting conditions, this is preferably provided with a light source and/or with a fluorescent marking.
Further advantages, features and details of the invention result from the description below of preferred exemplary embodiments as well as by means of the drawing. The features and feature combinations referred to above in the description as well as the features and feature combinations referred to below in the description of the figures and/or shown in the Figures alone are not only able to be applied in the respectively specified combination, but also in other combinations or alone, without leaving the scope of the invention.